ad arrived in the
wilderness?" "They set watchmen, who waved handkerchiefs, and they knew
that the he-goat had arrived in the wilderness." Said R. Judah, "and was
not this a great sign to them? from Jerusalem to Bethhoron(234) there were
three miles. They went a mile and returned, and rested the time of a mile,
and they knew that the he-goat arrived in the desert." R. Ishmael(235)
said, "and was there not another sign to them?" A tongue of brightness was
twisted on the door of the Sanctuary, and when the he-goat arrived in the
wilderness the tongue blanched, as is said, "Though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be white as snow."(236)

Chapter VII

1. The High Priest came to read. If he wished to read in linen garments,
he read. If not, he read in his own white stole. The public Minister of
the congregation took out the roll of the Law, and delivered it to the
Chief of the congregation, and the Chief of the congregation gave it to
the Sagan, and the Sagan gave it to the High Priest. And the High Priest
stood and received it and read. He stood and read "after the death"(237)
and "also on the tenth day."(238) And he rolled up the book of the Law,
and put it into his bosom, and said, "More than what I have read before
you is written here." And "on the tenth"(239) in the Pentateuch of
overseers he recited, and pronounced upon it eight blessings; upon the
Law, and upon the Service, and upon the confession, and upon the
forgiveness of sins, and upon the Sanctuary separately, and upon Israel
separately, and upon Jerusalem separately, and upon the Priests
separately, and upon the remainder of the prayer.

2. He who saw the High Priest, when he read, could not see the bullock and
the he-goat, when they were burning. And he who saw the bullock and the
he-goat, when they were burning, could not see the High Priest, when he
read. Not because it was forbidden, but because the way was far, and the
work of both was proceeding at once.

3. If he read in linen garments, he sanctified his hands and his feet, he
undressed, he descended and bathed. He came up, and wiped himself. They
brought him golden garments, and he dressed, and he sanctified his hands
and his feet, and went forth and offered the ram for himself, and the ram
for the people, and seven lambs without blemish of a year old. The words
of R. Eleazar. R. Akiba said, "with the morning sacrifice they were
offered." And the bullock of burnt-offering and the he-goat,(24